Memory matrix frames



March 24, 1964 F. J. WOOD MEMORY MATRIX FRAMES Filed Feb. 20. 1958III/IjJ/IIII lll lllllllll Fla. 3.

ll/f/l/l/l/I FIG. 2.

United States Patent ac 3,126,526 MEMORY MATRIX FRAMES Frank J. Wood,Northampton, England, assignor .to The Plessey Company Limited, Ilford,England, a British company Filed Feb. 20, 1958, Ser. No. 716,496 Claimspriority, application Great Britain Feb. 23, 1957 2 Claims. (Cl.340-174) This invention relates to memory matrix frames of the type inwhich a number of individual magnetisable annular cores are threaded onthe wires of a network or mat of wires extending in different directionsin such manner that while each wire of each of a number of sets havingdifferent directions passes through a number of indivdual cores, onlyone core is passed through by both of two wires each belonging to adifferent set. It is common practice to mount the mats formed of two, orin some cases more, sets of wires associated with and passing through aseries of cores, in a frame, in which the wires are secured in a tautposition. This has hitherto been effected by securing in or on theframe, along the sides thereof, an appropriate number of terminal tages,posts, or the like, to which the ends of the individual wires wererespectively secured by soldering or the like, and which served asterminals for the external connections to the matrix wires, theseexternal connections being again normally effected by soldering. Thepresent invention has for an object to provide an improved arrangementcapable of simple manufacture and permitting close spacing ofterminations.

According to the invention the matrix frame is built up of two framelaminae secured to each other face to face, with the matrix wiresextending through the joint between the two laminae so as to be securedto the frame by the cement or the like joining the two laminae. Eachframe lamina may further be composed of one, two or four component partssuch as limbs or half-frames as convenient. Preferably the mat is builtup on one of the frame laminae in a jig including means for keeping theframe wires taut across the said frame laminae and in contact with thelatter, and the second frame lamina is then placed on top of the firstframe lamina and the wires extending across the latter, after theapplication of a cement or other binding means, whereafter the two frameelements are pressed against each other, heat being applied at the sametime where necessary or desirable according to the kind of cement or thelike employed, and after the cement or other binding means has set orhardened to the desired extent, the frame with the mat is removed fromthe jig after the wires have been cut or detached from the jig. Thecutting is effected in such manner that wire ends suitable to formconnector terminals project from the outer side of the frame. Theseprojecting wire ends are preferably tinned by conventional methods tofacilitate soldering to other wires, for example of other matrices.

The invention will now be described in more detail by way of examplewith reference to the accompanying drawing.

FIGURE 1 is a schematic perspective view of a mat of memory cores withtwo sets of wires extending at right angles to each other, part of theupper lamina being broken away for greater clearness.

3,126,526 Patented Maia-24, 1964 FIGURE 2 similarly illustrates a simpleform of jig suitable for carrying out the invention, and

FIGURE 3 is a sectional elevation of the jig in use.

Referring now to the drawings, the annular cores, which may consist ofso-called square-loop ferrites, are referredto by reference numeral 1,and the two sets of wires by 2 and 3 respectively, while the matrixframe consists of two laminae 7 and 9, preferably made from fabric-basedor fibre-glass based plastic sheet. The wires 2 and 3 are secured in ataut condition in a jig comprising a plywood frame 4 having a centralaperture 5 corresponding to the size of a matrix proper, this aperturebeing surrounded by a recessed shoulder 6 adapted to accommodate onelamina 7 of the matrix frame according to the invention in such manneras to be flush with the surface of the plywood frame 4. Pins 8 extendalong the outer sides of the jig 4 for securing the wires 2 and 3 afterthe same have been duly tightened. After or before the wires have beentightened and secured as described, a strong cement, for example thecement known under the registered trademark ARALDITE, which is of thethermo-setting kind, is applied and the second lamina 9 is placed on topof the lamina 7, with the Wires interposed between the two frame laminae7 and 9. These laminae are then bonded together by curing under pressureat the requisite temperature, whereafter the bonded plastic frame withthe wire mat can be removed from the jig, for example by cutting thewires just above the pins 8. This leaves straight connector ends 10 ofeach wire projecting outwardly from the outer edge of the frame. Theseprojecting ends may, if required, be tinned adjacent their outer ends bya rapiddip soldering technique.

It will be readily appreciated that the invention is not limited to allthe details of the example described. Thus it is not necessary for eachframe lamina 7 and 9 to be one integral piece, but one or each may bebuilt up of a number, preferably 2 or 4, of abutting pieces, providedthat the butt joints of the two laminae are offset relative to eachother. Furthermore the jig may be varied in a number of ways which willbe obvious to those skilled in the art, for example by providingindividual tightening means for each wire, or in some cases by providingspring tensioning devices or clamping plates. The tightening means may,if desired, be of the kind commonly used for the strings of musicalinstruments such for example as pianos or violins.

What I claim is:

l. A magnetic memory matrix with closely spaced terminals comprising aquadrilateral matrix frame,

a network of at least two sets of substantially parallel,

flexible, electric-conductor wires, extending in substantially differentdirections with each set extending between two sides of saidquadrilateralframe,

and a plurality of individual toroidal cores of magnetizable materialheld by said sets of wires, one core at each of the intersections of thewires of said sets,

said quadrilateral matrix frame comprising two frame laminae with alayer of cement therebetween securing the laminae together,

each of the two end portions of each of said wires passing through saidlayer of cement and extending to and being anchored in and held taut bythe outside of the two sides of the frame between which the particularwire extends to form the terminals of said matrix, said wires beingcontinuous and being embedded in the cement layer whereby the innernetwork of wires 5 is tautly held within said frame while electricalconnection may be made directly to the terminal ends of said wires fromoutside of said frame. 2. The magnetic memory matrix of claim 1 whereinsaid cement consists essentially of a thermosetting plastic 10 material.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Trimble Dec. 28, OBrien Nov. 5, Lunsford Dec. 12,Youngblood Oct. 30, Ashenhurst Nov. 15, Minnick Jan. 24, Hennessey Aug.5, De Michele Sept. 30, Smith Nov. 29,

1. A MAGNETIC MEMORY MATRIX WITH CLOSELY SPACED TERMINALS COMPRISING AQUADRILATERAL MATRIX FRAME, A NETWORK OF AT LEAST TWO SETS OFSUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL, FLEXIBLE, ELECTRIC-CONDUCTOR WIRES, EXTENDING INSUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS WITH EACH SET EXTENDING BETWEEN TWOSIDES OF SAID QUADRILATERAL FRAME, AND A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUALTOROIDAL CORES OF MAGNETIZABLE MATERIAL HELD BY SAID SETS OF WIRES, ONECORE AT EACH OF THE INTERSECTIONS OF THE WIRES OF SAID SETS, SAIDQUADRILATERAL MATRIX FRAME COMPRISING TWO FRAME LAMINAE WITH A LAYER OFCEMENT THEREBETWEEN SECURING THE LAMINAE TOGETHER, EACH OF THE TWO ENDPORTIONS OF EACH OF SAID WIRES PASSING THROUGH SAID LAYER OF CEMENT ANDEXTENDING TO AND BEING ANCHORED IN AND HELD TAUT BY THE OUTSIDE OF THETWO SIDES OF THE FRAME BETWEEN WHICH THE PARTICULAR WIRE EXTENDS TO FORMTHE TERMINALS OF SAID MATRIX, SAID WIRES BEING CONTINOUS AND BEINGEMBEDDED IN THE CEMENT LAYER WHEREBY THE INNER NETWORK OF WIRES ISTAUTLY HELD WITHIN SAID FRAME WHILE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION MAY BE MADEDIRECTLY TO THE TERMINAL ENDS OF SAID WIRES FROM OUTSIDE OF SAID FRAME.